Mutually Assured Destruction
by Freedom Deluxe
Summary: They say that nobody endures the trials of the Mojave without change. Eddie Rollins endured countless hardships and visceral changes in his life. This is what shaped him into a cold and unforgiving man, and now in his quest to avenge his loved ones, he finds his target is wanted: dead or alive, and he wants him dead. They do say vengeance is great motivation.
1. The Gunslinger

Cold desert night worked against the ranger. He had been hunting his quarry for years now, he'd lost everything along the way, and taken just as much from the Dark One. He was a hardened old son of a bitch. Edward "Eddie" Rollins had tracked his family's killer for many years. He would not fall until vengeance was reaped. The Dark Man was not of our world, he worked for forces dreaming deep below. The Dark One had many names across eons of destruction, but he went commonly by the name "Roland Halo," among many others.

The year was 2284. Eddie had become a sort of pariah to the NCR. Whom he regrettably helped win Hoover Dam for. They honorably discharged him after he secured a victory for them. Quite simply they used him. They knew of his past, his family's demise, then exploited his skills for victory.

Eddie stopped his brisk pace, in favor of an alcove, perfect for resting in. He stopped, gathered dry enough wood and started a warm campfire. Eddie immediately felt more secure about the harsh Mojave night ahead of him, but he'd done this so many times that worry rarely crossed his mind. He set up a skewer and put two slabs of gecko meat on it to cook. He took off his ranger helmet, finally able to rest. The armor under his duster was worn and loosing its markings. The duster itself was starting to wear heavily at the bottom, and the left shoulder was tearing at a seam. His helmet beared the markings of his old company, it read "Onyx Company: Commander" and under that it read "7176." He rubbed his thumb across the numbers, it left a sting in his heart. 7/1/76 was the date of his daughter's birth. She and her mother died on her seventh birthday. He put the helmet on the log beside him. In the hereafter of their demise, Eddie was convinced it was the legion's fault. It wasn't until he held his hands on the dying throat of Caesar who told him about Roland Halo, the Dark One. Eddie believed him, for, you see a dying man was always principally honest in the Mojave.

After the death of his family, subsequent betrayal by the NCR, and years of mercenary work, Eddie earned the alias, the "Mojave Manhunter."

Eddie found himself lost in thought once more, he took a cigarette out of the pack in his pocket and lit it with the engraved lighter he still had. Eddie sighed aloud and pulled his sequoia revolver out of it's holster and started polishing and oiling it. The gold engravings were starting to wear now, just like everything else, and himself.

After a few minutes his cigarette finally ran out of usage. Eddie threw the cigarette butt into the fire. He laid his revolver beside him and took his lever action rife off of his back and started polishing it as well. The "La Lounge Carbine" the old ranger Corporal Sterling, once affectionately called it. Unfortunately she couldn't help him when a fiend put a bullet through his head at a hundred yards away. They were marching to confront Motor-Runner, and all of a sudden, blood flew from Sterling's head and he fell, limp and to the ground. Eddie was right behind him. Eddie picked up Sterling's beloved repeater and shot the fiend through his scope and into his eye. When it was all said and done, Lieutenant Gorobets gifted the rifle to him.

Eddie finished polishing and oiling La Lounge, and then he sighted the scope, he always made sure it had pinpoint accuracy. He leaned the rifle on the log beside him. Eddie took a flask of whiskey out of his pocket and took a swig. Before he could bring the flask back down to put the lid on, he heard the all to familiar _click_ of a hammer being cocked back. He made a slight movement to reach for his revolver, but found nothing. _Son of a bitch. I'm loosing my touch._

"Give me everything you got asshole, or I'll kill you with your own damn gun." The voice behind him said. Eddie put the lid on his flask and threw it back to the marauder.

"There." He said dryly.

"You got more, jackass! I know it! You're a ranger, now don't lie, you got a lot of shit! Now give me it or I'm killing you and taking it anyway!" They said.

Eddie heard them sway the gun slightly to the left. _Now was his chance._ Then with lightning speed Eddie spun up and off of the log, the fiend fired a shot, but he missed wildly, Eddie knocked the sequoia out of his hand, then clubbed him over the head with his ranger helmet. The feind collapsed and groaned. Eddie grabbed his rifle and put it on his back holster, he then walked over and picked up his revolver. He examined it for damages and then checked the chamber. He took the spent cartridge out and threw it aside into the sandy desert. Eddie loaded another 45-70 bullet in and spun the chamber around, then locked it back into place. He kept it in his hand and walked back over to the fiend still on the ground. Eddie looked over at his gecko steaks still cooking and smiled with sarcastic humor.

"I'll give you points for trying, how does that sound? Well, I dunno you did successfully ruin a lovely dinner for me!" Eddie said in his gruff and deep tone. He put his helmet on and when he locked it into place the eyes lit up.

"F-fuck you... asshole..." the fiend said as Eddie bent over and picked up his whiskey flask.

"I guess it just wasn't in the cards for you tonight, partner." Eddie said, drawing his piece. Asthe fiend stared right down the barrel of the mighty sequoia hunting revolver. Then, _click-BOOM..._ and the life faded slowly from his would-be assailant.


	2. Broken, Beaten, and Scarred

Eddie hadn't seen the streets of New Vegas in almost a year and half, he wasn't going back by his own will anytime soon. _Too many people doing stupid things, wasting their lives._ Alice used to say that. She was the only person who made sense to Eddie sometimes. Then when their daughter came along, Eddie thought that he was going to die of stress, but as usual Alice _always made sense._ She had a good head on her shoulders, and a good heart in her chest She was such a humble and grounded person. Eddie winced at the thought that had just crossed his mind _. She was scared for me when I first started my mercenary work. Then when I joined the NCR. She was even mad at me when she found out I tortured that legate at Camp Mccarran. God. How did it come to something like this?_

Thinking like this always made Eddie feel like shit. He thought he saw a small town in the distance. He passed the sign walking the interstate sign, _"Welcome to Arizona!"_ So at least he was making good distance to Tombstone. The Dark Man was hiding there, _his target._

The town looked to be an hour, possibly two away, he seen some sort of circular object in the center, but it was too far away too tell. After a spell of walking, Eddie came up to the gates of the medium sized community, two guards were on duty. One was substantially fatter than the other.

"Oi, you down there, what you doin' 'ere, eh?" The bigger one asked

"Eventually I'll be just passing through, but at the moment, I'm looking for a man named Roland Halo. Seen him? He's the only person dumb enough to wear black in the desert." Eddie said diplomatically.

"Lad, neither of us know who or what you might be talking about, but our leader, El Segador might know something, he right might." The other one said.

"His name is 'The Reaper?' Boy that sure says 'friendly and inviting.' _Charming._ " Eddie could tell that the old bastard was lying about not knowing anything himself.

"Yeah, and it's been awhile since we seen an NCR ranger 'round these parts, aye." The fat one said.

"I hate to ruin your fun, but I'm not a ranger, not anymore and not for a long time have I." Eddie said.

They opened the gates and led him to a throne right in front of the arena that was clearly in the middle of the town. The throne was made out of weapons and armor from the Wastelands. Just on the back Eddie saw wreckage bearing the NCR bear and Brotherhood of Steel logo. _Shit. This won't end well._

Nevertheless of his doubts Eddie walked in front of the throne. There was a man clad in a full suit of waster-forged medieval fashioned armor, and the face mask was of a skull. _Just fucking peachy._

"Greetings, my name is Edward Rollins, but most call me Eddie. I'm on a mission to find a man named Roland Halo. Your guards back there told me you might know something about him?" Eddie said as nice and as diplomatically as possible.

"Who the hell do you think you are, boy?" El Segador said in a gritty Spanish accent looking at Eddie.

"With all due respect, _sir, I am no boy._ I am a bounty hunter. Now, I hate to be rushing but I must find this man, it's of very high importance." Eddie said through gritted teeth in his helmet.

El Segador stood up, towering over Eddie by a good foot of height. _Shit._

"This is my house, one does not come up to me and show no respect for a king, then ask a favor, _then_ proceed to _insult_ my authority." El Segador said.

He swatted Eddie down, but not to the ground, on one knee Eddie reached for his revolver, in a split second it was aimed at the tyrant's face and Eddie was back on his feet. The lackeys gasped in the back. He grabbed Eddie by the wrist and clutching it so tightly Eddie heard the polymer bracer crack, soon he couldn't hold his gun, and it clanked to the floor. El Segador looked him in the eye.

"I will tell you about our mutual aquatints, _but,_ only if you survive three rounds in _my arena."_ He said.

"Bring it on you motherfucker." Eddie said.

"That's what I wanted to hear." El Segador said, and head butted Eddie.

Eddie's vision blurred and he fell to the ground unconscious. He woke up a few hours later, in the pit, surrounded by freshly spilled blood, viscera, and bones. A rabidly cheering crowd stood beyond the barrier. Eddie stood up and the crowd cheered, he still had his armor on, but he reached for his gun and found an empty holster. He looked up and each of the guards he met earlier were holding one. All Eddie had was his trusted hunting knife. And a gauntlet at his feet. It was a demolition power fist, Eddie put it on and clicked a button in the grip, the heated coil on the end of the meat hammer of a metal bar on the end of the fist ejected forward with sparks and steam.

A siren wailed and he sighed as his first round of opponents entered the game. Eddie drew his knife, turning the blade in a stabbing position. Out of the opposite side walked three lightly armored personnel with melee weapons. Eddie taunted them.

They charged each other, Eddie slid between two of them causing one to hit the other, he stabbed the injured one in the back of the neck and blood spewed out and hit the side of his ranger helmet.

This gave the second one time to hit him in the stomach with his chain-wrapped baseball bat as the first fell to the ground bleeding out. As Eddie was trying recover, the third finally attacked and went for an overhead swing with his sword, but Eddie blocked him with the power fist, he recoiled and fell to the ground, and then came the second. Eddie hit him in the stomach hit the power fist, and sent him flying a good seven feet. Finally Eddie was able to get up to his feet, now the second one had the mace of the first one in his hand.

Eddie went all in and charged the second one, he knocked the bat out of his hand with power fist but was met with a mace to his shoulder, Eddie dropped his weapons and was stunned. The second one started hitting him in the back, thank god the ranger armor was taking the brunt of the hits. The third one came over and distracted the second, Eddie seized the opportunity and grabbed the second one's chain wrapped baseball bat, he turned and cracked him right on the jaw. Both of them staggered backwards, as Eddie got up he saw the jawbone of the second one laying a few feet in front of him. Then the second fell to the ground, missing his entire jaw. The third dropped his sword and started running. Eddie walked up and picked up the sword, he drew it back, and sent it flying in a fluent motion. It caught the third in the spine and he fell down paralyzed.

Eddie walked over and picked up his knife. Then he went up to the final enemy as he bled out. He pulled the sword from his back and swiftly ended his suffering with a jab to the head.

Eddie looked up at El Segador sitting on his throne. The brute looked as if he was planning, _schemeing_ , ready to point out any weaknesses Eddie had, and then exploit them.

"Is that all you smug son of a bitch!?" Eddie wailed.

El Segador shook his head and gave the thumbs down. The siren wailed again and the second round was starting.

El Segador gave a wave of his hand, and the guard threw him his rifle. Eddie caught it before it could hit the ground. He drew it at the gate with a '2' on it. Then it opened.

A large four clawed hand with an extend middle claw grabbed the side. Then the matching other hand grabbed the opposite side. Red eyes ignited the dark as a growl erupted into the stage, and the cheering silenced. The creature revealed itself as an alpha deathclaw. _God. Dammit._

Eddie watched as the beast fully revealed itself to him and the crowd, the ground rumbled with each step. Scars adorned its thick and dark hide, and blood freshly coated it's razor sharp teeth. It set it's eyes on Eddie and he could feel it pierce damn near into his soul.

He had thought of nearly everything, _except for a deathclaw_. _Of course it had to be a fuckin' deathclaw._ Eddie had worked a contingency for almost everything but that, needlessly, this poor creature hat to die for him to live. So he had to go for broke.

Eddie fired a shot from the carabine into the deathclaw, however he only pissed it off. It got on all fours and charged him, Eddie rolled out of the way and felt his brain rattle in his head as the deathclaw connected with the stadium wall.

He looked and the deathclaw had it's left horn stuck in the wall, Eddie was an ultimate opportunist and he slung the rifle into its holster on his back, and, using his knife, he jabbed it into the back of the deathclaw and started climbing it. It wailed in pain with every jab, but eventually Eddie made it to its neck, he locked his legs around its neck and jammed his knife right into it's left eye. This caused the animal to charge so much sheer anger and adrenaline up, that it broke it's own horn off, while it was still stuck.

It started running around the arena as Eddie held on for dear life, but he slipped and, the deathclaw grabbed him an launched him across the arena. Eddie got up, but he realized he landed right beside a huge chunk of rebar in concrete, that had been placed as an obstacle with multiple ends pointing towards the deathclaw. Speaking of the deathclaw, the poor creature was still wailing at the loss of an eye as it felt a bullet hit it's shoulder, it growled and looked where it came from.

Through its enraged vision it saw only Eddie and charged at him upon all fours again, it was only at the last second that it saw the rebar sticking out of the fallen concrete.

Eddie felt the thud on the opposite side of the concrete, along with the good two feet closer to the wall. _Did I actually just do this?_ He got up and walked to the other side and saw the deathclaw pierced by the rebar, the creature was killed on impact. Eddie used its own rage against it. He felt kind of bad for the creature. It didn't ask for this, it was just a wild animal trying to defend itself in an alien environment.

The crowd roared in cheer, and Eddie looked up at El Segador, he could tell that the lord was impressed. Not any waster could be this tactical. El Segador stood up with his halberd in one hand and he took Eddie's revolver in the other and addressed Eddie and the crowd.

"Mr. Rollins! You have impressed me with your latest feat, under normal circumstances, I would let you out, but, I did say three rounds, and I'm a man of my word, but I do believe you at least earned the chance to use everything at your disposal in your last fight." El Segador said.

He threw Eddie his sequoia revolver and Eddie caught it. It wasn't the response he was looking for, but not also the one he dreaded. Eddie looked at the door with "3" painted over it, and heard El Segador's voice.

"For your final fight, Eddie, you must face the only man to ever run undefeated in my arena. He is, the Overboss!"

The door opened halfway, and an enormous man, towering at least eight feet tall broke it down. He was extremely muscular, looking at though he could crush someone's head with his bare hands. To make it worse, he wore sleeveless armor that was of clear gladiator influence, he held a short, broad-bladed sword in his hand.

The Overboss started running towards Eddie, the ranger started running back, he knew he stood no chance of outmuscling him, so Eddie was going to outwit the brute.

Just before impact, Eddie slid between the legs, and quickly landed a jab in his ribs, this however was a mere prick to the Overboss. He swatted Eddie, and the ranger went flying a good ten feet, when he got up to his feet, he was met with a massive right hook from the Overboss, directly in his right chest area.

This hit Eddie so hard it knocked the breath out of him, as he stood there gasping for air to renter his lungs, the Overboss cane down with his sword and left a long gash on the left side of his helmet. But he wasn't done, after that, he slammed Eddie with an uppercut, which threw his helmet off.

Finally Eddie caught his breath after being stunned, he drew his revolver, but with reckless abandonment and fired, he hit the Overboss in the shoulder, which despite the blood, seemed to just piss him off even more. He grabbed Eddie by the throat, Eddie dropped his gun and was lifted above the Overboss's head horizontally. The Overboss marched around the arena with Eddie high in the air, the. He slammed him down on the ground.

The Overboss grabbed Eddie by the hair of his head and dragged him to the concrete block, he threw Eddie atop it and started drilling haymaker after haymaker into his midsection. After a few of those barrages, Eddie felt this lung collapse from the strain and external damage. Eddie could barely breath and his chest hurt so bad it distorted his vision, but he felt the Overboss grab him by the throat again.

With Eddie in his hands, the Overboss walked to the center of the arena. He held Eddie high, primed to break his neck.

"Any last words?" He said.

"Look... down..." Eddie mumbled in deep pain.

The Overboss laughed hardily, but nonetheless obliged Eddie's final request. He looked down and was met with a .45-70 bullet shattering his skull. The shot made Eddie's ears ring for the first time in awhile and he felt the hands on his neck loosen slightly, but still clutching Eddie, the overboss fell on his back, Eddie landed on top of him. Eddie stood up, and took his sword as a trophy. The crowd went insane. Cheering and bellowing his name. Eddie took the sword and jammed it into the Overboss' chest, confirming he was indeed dead.

Eddie walked over and picked up his helmet, it had taken a long lightly deep gash behind the left eye and leading into the mouth area, and stopping there. He put it on, and all the internal components still worked perfectly fine, Eddie wished he could say the same about himself, his whole chest and midsection had taken an absolute beating. Eventually, he dropped to his knees and barely managed to pull a stimpack out of his bag and inject himself in the chest with it before he passed out.


	3. Lead the Way

Eddie awoke in a warmly lit room, he saw the large figure of a man standing not too far away. Eddie noticed that at least this place was fitted with power. Eddie looked and he still had everything on him, all his guns, knives, and ammo. His helmet was on the table beside him, the large man was wearing what looked like a tuxedo.

"Ah you are awake, Mr. Rollins, muy bein!" He said turning around with two glasses of whiskey in his hands.

The man had a noticeable Mexican accent and sounded familiar.

"Ah, lo siento, I digress. You have not met me formally as of yet. I am _El Segador_ or _The Reaper_ in your tongue. And you have impressed me greatly Eddie, and that is not an easy thing to do. Now please drink my friend, es whiskey." He said handing Eddie the glass and sitting in the chair across from him.

"Uh, thanks, but ah, what should I call you, unless you... " Eddie started to say.

"No, no, Edward, call me Roberto! Roberto Torres!" He interrupted

"Thank you Roberto. I must say in truth that at first impression I never expected this much hospitality." Eddie said.

"That is because I do not extend it freely. One must earn my respect and admiration. Which you have done ten times over, mi amigo." Roberto said.

"Thank you kindly." Eddie said humbly.

"Now, I believe that you came here looking for someone, a Roland Halo, if I'm not mistaken, si?" Roberto said.

"Yessir, I'm on a mission to kill him, and quite honestly it's personal. Very, very personal. Eddie said taking a drink of whiskey.

"Si, vengeance is a marching force. But it will get you nowhere in the end. But might I ask why you seek him? What he has done to you?" Roberto asked.

"Frankly, I don't see any other reason to conceal it to you. The son of a bitch killed my wife and... my daughter." Eddie said solemnly.

Roberto looked at Eddie and seen he had touched the lone soft spot in the man's heart.

"Lo siento, mi amigo. I should not have asked." He said.

"It's fine, they were good people." Eddie said.

"Children always hit a soft side of my heart, amigo. I am deeply sorrowful to hear you say that. But I digress again, I do in fact know some things about this Roland Halo." Roberto said.

Eddie perked up.

"He came through about two weeks ago, he was dressed completely in black, in a long cloak that completely covered him and he had deep rimmed hat on his head, but of course I was in my armor as the Reaper, so I didn't say anything about that. Instead he just wanted to know if we had a general store, I pointed him in the direction of it, and as he walked off he started humming "I Don't Want to Set the World On Fire" by the Ink Spots." El Segador said.

"That song was playing on the radio when my family was killed, why the hell was he singing it, did that fucker know that I'd come here?" Eddie said seemingly to himself.

"Mi amigo, the song plays on the radio regularly, so I didn't think much of it.

"Maybe it is nothing, but still. Continue." Eddie said.

"As he entered the general store he bought a box of shotgun shells. Then as a witness said, he walked out onto the street and for seemingly no reason at all, pulled a black sawed-off shotgun from his cloak, and shot the foot off of the town beggar, Sweeney. After that, the man in black disappeared into vapor." Roberto said.

"Where is his victim?" Eddie said.

"The beggar? Sweeney? He is currently in the infirmary." Roberto said.

"I need to speak to him, now, preferably." Eddie said.

"Then off we go!" Roberto said.

Eddie put his helmet on and followed the Reaper out of his estate. Eddie was astonished to see that this whole town was lit up with power and lights. He noticed mostly because the sun was setting and darkness was falling.

They walked down the dusty, uneven streets. Past orphans playing in the streets, and drunks sitting in their front porches, snoozing lazily. Roberto led Eddie to a building in the center of its street, a second one branches off to its side. A large sign on it indicated it was indeed the hospital.

They walked in and were met with a receptionist at a desk.

"Let me handle this, amigo. After all these are my people!" He chuckled.

Eddie stayed back as Roberto walked up to the receptionist and talked to her. After a moment he motioned for Eddie to follow him, and he and the ranger walked further into the hospital.

Roberto led Eddie past sick and injured people, they were being cared for by a surprisingly well trained staff of doctors and medics. Eventually they reached a room with a man missing his left leg from the knee down, they walked in and he was reading a book.

"Hola, Sweeney." Roberto said cheerfully.

The man looked up from his book, and showed a shaggy hair and bear combo with blindness consuming his left eye.

"Eh?" He said.

"Mr. Sweeney it's me, Roberto." El Segador said.

"Yeah I know you, but I don't know ranger over there. Sorry but I ain't saying anything about anything until it's just you and me." The beggar said.

Roberto looked at Eddie.

"Fine." Eddie said with a sigh as he walked out.

He closed the door to the room and leaned on a nearby wall with his arms crossed. Eddie pulled out his knife and started spinning it through his fingers. The knife was heavily customized and had seen it's fair share of action. He was investigating the part where the blade met the hilt, and found the tooth of the deathclaw he had fought earlier.

How he hadn't noticed it befuddled Eddie. Something that big and sharp should be noticeable. He took the tooth and put it in his pocket. The blade of his knife was loose now and needed repair. With luck a smithy could hammer it back into place.

Eddie heard the door shut, and he looked up. Roberto had a grin on his face.

"Come Eddie! We must head back to my villa, I will tell you what the beggar knew, and equip you for your journey ahead."

With that he started marching towards his villa, Eddie followed.


End file.
